Contents

Background

The Soviet Union's nearly unaccountable military spending required the nation to rapidly fill its coffers with resources that could be directly applied to production. Therefore, fleets of vehicles known simply as ore collectors became a common sight in resource-rich areas, transferring ore between mines and nearby refineries.

Each ore collector is dutifully assembled by loyal Soviet men, women, and children from recycled parts taken from other Soviet vehicles expended in battle: Their cockpits are based on the same bubble canopies used in flak cannons and in Kazminov Design Bureau's own Bullfrogs; their collapsible pontoons are taken from Sputnik exploration vehicles; their reactive-armor coats are composed of sheeted alloys smelted from Hammer tanks and Apocalypse tanks; their cargo bins are made from the recycled fuselages of downed MiG fighters, and so on. Each collector's designated driver is given a framed, commemorative list of names and addresses of all the loyal soldiers whose vehicle parts were used to create that particular unit. Ironically, in spite of the rather conservative original design principle behind the ore collector, each one turns out to be fairly costly to manufacture, in part because of all the formality and ceremony around the respectful use of recycled vehicle parts.

Ore collector pilots are civilian drivers who are, for various reasons, unable to fight on the front lines. The Soviet Union created an expensive and elaborate publicity campaign that brought in collector drivers by the thousands, promising that volunteer drivers would not be incarcerated for thought-crimes for not enlisting in military services. These drivers were assured their personal safety as well, due to the ore collector's ability to deploy full-body reactive armor that easily withstood 70mm tank shells during tests. Individuals particularly gifted in mathematics were given the cushiest ore-collection posts, where they could readily apply their skills to tabulating massive sums of the resources they themselves would bring in for the good of their countries. This gave these men some legitimate work to do on the job, in between occasionally having to defend themselves from Allied counteroffensives.

Abilities

Reactive Armor

Deploys special ceramic armor, which also reduces speed and covers the cargo hold.

Cargo Bay

Folds up the anti-tank armor, regaining mobility and the ability to carry out ore gathering.

Assessment

Pros

Active armor protection makes it highly resistant to any kind of enemy attacks

Can crush infantry

Preserves the cargo after activation of armor

Invulnerable to terror drone infection while Reactive Armor is deployed

Can be upgraded with all of Soviet upgrades

Cons

Still unarmed

Can't gather ore when Reactive armor is deployed

Becomes slower after armor is activated

Costlier than Allied Prospector

Notes from the field

“

Are they gone yet?- Ore Collector

”

Battlefield reconnaissance has revealed at least these facts about the USSR Ore Collector:

• Replace if damaged -- Each Soviet ore refinery is assigned its own ore collector vehicle, which can normally go about its business without direct supervision. Should that vehicle become disabled for any reason, the refinery has enough spare parts to build another. Naturally, Soviet war factories and naval yards can also assemble additional ore collectors if needed.

• Reactive Armor -- If attacked, ore collector drivers are wise to take advantage of their reactive armor, which envelops the vehicle in a thick metal coat. However, they are discouraged from using this defensive measure because it prevents them from fulfilling their primary responsibility of collecting ore. Regardless its armor will survive Guardian Tanks.

• Steer clear -- While lacking in weapons, ore collectors are not completely defenseless, and could crush a man careless enough to stand in their way. Ore collector drivers have been known to take advantage of this as a last resort, and some have even slain enemy combatants by accident in this fashion, while blindly trying to maneuver with their reactive armor engaged.

• Amphibious resourcing -- Much like their cousins the Sputnik exploration vehicles, ore collectors may transition to an aquatic mode on contact with water at least one meter deep.

Videos

Trivia

If a Terror Drone infects a Soviet ore collector, and the collector deploys reactive armor afterwards, the Terror Drone will deal less damage, this is strange, considering the Drone is already inside the collector.

When a Soviet ore collector has its reactive armor activated, it cannot be infected by a terror drone.